Good Morning

Author: Training Nation10/07/2017

What do you do when you hear the sound of that alarm telling you it’s time to wake up?

If you’re like the majority of people out there, you probably hit the snooze button and get another 30 minutes of shut eye. Then when you do eventually muster the courage to get out of bed, the first and most essential thing to do is to check your social media accounts in case something groundbreaking has happened overnight. Sound familiar?

Breaking the habit

The problem with human beings is that when we continually behave a certain way, or perform a certain task, it becomes a habit. Whether you choose to stay in bed, or you wake up and get things done, more often than not, that is a habit. Any time you attempt a new routine, or attempt to break a bad habit, it is difficult at the beginning. It requires a lot of perseverance and mental strength, but more often than not it is worth it.

It can’t be a coincidence that many extremely successful people are huge advocates of “owning the morning”. Your approach to this time of day can be a very powerful tool in setting the day’s momentum. It prepares you, both physically and mentally, and sets the tone for your productivity. There are less distractions in the early hours of the day so you can achieve more as there are less interruptions.

More time

Modern life is increasingly unpredictable and busy. It often seems like there isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything that needs to be done. By getting up just 1 hour earlier each day, you would gain 15 days worth of time per year. Think about how much you could accomplish with an extra 15 days. Research has shown that you are able to perform perfectly fine with 6-7 hours sleep each night. That doesn’t mean the lie-in has to be forgotten, but why not save it for the weekend when you can reward you body for its weeks activity by giving it some extra rest?

Proper Nutrition

The importance of proper nutrition cannot be overstressed. Any health and fitness expert, even the bad ones, will tell you how important it is for your body to get the food it needs to properly recover. This is especially key if you are someone how frequently exercises. Whether your goal is to lose weight, pack on muscle, or prepare for a marathon, all your hard work and sweat in the gym will be for nothing if you aren’t eating correctly. By waking up earlier, you are allowing yourself time to have a much more beneficial and healthier meal than that bagel you usually grab on your way out the door.

Proper Rest

After working out, and eating a good meal, the next thing your body needs is good quality rest so that it can recover. It is increasingly common however for people to suffer from poor quality sleep, meaning your body isn’t getting the time it so desperately needs to repair the damage done to it during your workouts.

A common trait in early risers is that they tend to have very well established sleep routines. According to many sleep experts, it’s important to establish a proper sleep routine to improve sleep quality as this helps set your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and then wake up naturally.

The next time your alarm goes off at 6AM, don’t just hit the snooze button. Get up, get out of bed and attack the morning. After all, the more you get done early, the more relaxation time you have in the evening.

*The views and/or opinions expressed in the blogs are not necessarily those of Training Nation, but of the author